The proposed research career award (RCA) will provide mid-career retraining to conduct research in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the menopause. The career development award will provide the applicant with the protected time needed for retraining in key content areas and to further develop the necessary methodological skills required to successfully execute two proposed studies within the period of the award. The RCA will also allow the applicant to prepare subsequent research proposals (e.g., R21 and/or R01 mechanisms) based on the results obtained from the proposed pilot projects. The training program will consist of a set of structured activities (in collaboration with the sponsor and sponsoring committee) that will promote an in-depth understanding in each of the content areas. These content areas are: 1) the epidemiology and physiology of menopause; 2) fundamentals of TCM and acupuncture; 3) methodological and design issues in the conduct of acupuncture research; and 4) the physiology of stress. Mastery of these content areas will be achieved through the set of structured activities. The research program for the proposed RCA consists of two separate studies that are related by a common theme. In the first study, we will examine agreement in acupuncturists' diagnosis and treatment of women presenting with hot flashes. In the second, we will evaluate the potential efficacy and clinical significance of acupuncture compared to sham controls on the recurrence (and severity) of hot flashes in postmenopausal women. The structured activities provide a firm foundation for both the training process and the research program. Because these content areas represent fundamentally new areas of research, a comprehensive training and research program is required, justifying the need for five years of sustained funding.
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